Two Coffees
by aurghhh
Summary: Paige meets Emily at the Brew while getting some coffee. [Three short AU's based on those preview pics of Emily and Paige in 5x11. I've decided to go for different genres, so we've got sci-fi, spies, and superhero shenanigans, all with some romance. Just because.]
1. Chapter 1

**1. Closing Time**

At that moment, Emily hated everything. She hated this stupid planet she lived on, she hated that she couldn't go to an off-planet college which meant she was stuck here working in this stupid coffeehouse, she hated that the "Just like back on Earth" experience included her having to clean up spills with a towel instead of an exomizer, but most of all she hated her stupid boss for making her work tonight.

Tonight Emily was supposed to be seeing Paige perform at New Rosewood Hall, but instead of being at the concert Emily was stuck at The Brew.

She had lived all her life in New Rosewood, which wasn't even the most interesting town on K186f, a planet so boring no one even bothered giving it a real name. Emily had always dreamed of making it out, but that seemed impossible. She knew Paige was going to make it out, though, and Emily was left looking on with a mix of admiration and envy.

Paige had gone to the same school as Emily for two years, but Emily didn't really know Paige back then. Paige was a violinist, and a talented one. Then she had been spotted by scouts for the East Cygnus Symphony Orchestra and selected for enhancements, which meant going to another school.

If she was being honest with herself, Emily had to admit that she had become a little obsessed with Paige, but her story was just so inspiring. Emily started going to her concerts and watching, mesmerized, as Paige played so beautifully.

There was some controversy about enhancements in music circles, of course. So-called "purists" didn't approve, but a lot of the pieces composers wrote these days couldn't be played by someone without cybernetic components. Anyway, Paige's passion and expressiveness didn't come from her enhancements, they came from her heart.

Then Emily met Paige again, right here at The Brew. She was just doing her regular afternoon shift when Paige came in. Emily recognized her immediately, but had to keep her professional demeanor, however difficult that was.

She served Paige her coffee, but as she did she noticed Paige looking at her intently. Just as Emily was wondering if she should say something, Paige spoke.

"Were you at New Rosewood High?" Paige asked.

"Yes, we were in the same year," Emily replied.

"OK, yeah, I thought I remembered you," Paige said. "Is it… Emily?"

Emily became aware that she was breathing faster. Paige remembered her?

"Yes," was all Emily could say.

"Wow, that's amazing," Paige said. "Have I seen you since I left? I've just got this feeling I have, but I'm not sure where."

"I've been to a couple of your concerts," Emily replied, understating the number somewhat.

"Of course!" Paige exclaimed. "I noticed you one night. You looked lost in the music."

"You're an amazing musician," Emily said.

"Thank you," Paige replied, and dipped her head. She looked almost embarrassed, and kind of adorable.

They talked for a while longer, about music, and school, and what everyone was up to these days, but Emily was just shocked that Paige not only remembered her from school, she had noticed her in the sea of faces of her audience. She was on a high for the rest of the day.

Paige came in two more times, at least while Emily was there. Paige would ask about what Emily wanted to do with her life, but it all seemed so trivial next to the future Paige had ahead of her. Paige was going to be leaving at the end of the year, going off planet to a world that seemed more glamorous and exotic than anything Emily could imagine.

The last time Emily had seen her, Paige had told her about the concert tonight, and invited her to come along. Emily said she would try, and she had tried, but she couldn't get out of work.

So now Emily was busy cleaning the tables, wiping them down and putting the crockery in her tray, but thinking about Paige. How nice she was, and unaffected by her minor celebrity status. What a sweet personality she had. How cute she looked when she did that head dip thing. How beautiful her smile was. How her hair…

Emily stopped herself. She had to face facts. A crush on a girl she would probably never see again would just make her more miserable. It wasn't long until closing time now. After she locked up, she could go home and cry.

Just then the door opened and a customer came in.

Emily turned to see who it was.

She stood transfixed for a moment, mouth open in shock.

"Hi," Paige said.

"Hi," Emily responded.

It was her. It was Paige, standing at the counter, dressed in a stunning black dress from her performance, looking like some sort of Goddess who had come down from above to order coffee from Emily Fields.

"I just thought I'd drop in," Paige said, casually. "I hope you're still open."

Emily put down her tray and went into barista mode.

"Yes, yes, of course," she said. "What would you like? The same as last time?"

"Yes, and one for a friend," Paige replied.

Emily took a moment to process this, before deciding the universe was mocking her. Paige comes here after her performance, and she's probably just ducking out to meet her date.

"What would your friend like?" Emily asked.

"I don't know," Paige responded. "What do _you_ have?"

"I like the Americano," Emily said, "but your friend…"

"It's for you, Emily," Paige interrupted.

Now Emily was confused.

"It's for you," Paige repeated. "I noticed you weren't there tonight, so I wanted to come and see you."

Not knowing what else to do, Emily proceeded to make the coffees.

Paige took them, but Emily couldn't shake the habit of being at work, and picked up her tray again, ready to resume cleaning up.

"No, Em, I really want to have a coffee with you," Paige insisted.

Em? She had said "Em". Emily was aware that she was smiling, probably beaming. Paige stood there, looking glorious, coffees in hand.

Emily put the tray down again, and sat down with Paige at an empty table.

"So, how did the concert go?" Emily asked.

"It was great," Paige replied. "A lot of fun."

"I'm sorry I missed it," Emily said.

"Me too," Paige agreed.

"Shouldn't you be at at some glamorous party with the other musicians?" Emily asked.

"I'd rather be here," Paige explained. "With you."

"Really?" Emily asked.

"Really," Paige replied.


	2. Chapter 2

**2. The Plan**

"Is this coffee organic?" Paige asks.

"No, but it is from Peru," Emily replies.

Damn. The room is bugged.

Paige gets so annoyed with the agency some times. They send their agents out on these missions but they can't even secure the rendezvous point.

But then these are the geniuses that came up with Paige infiltrating the party as a guest while Emily goes undercover as a waitress… at the coffee shop down the road. Not at the party itself, because that would be too obvious. And of course Paige having to sneak out to pass on information while wearing a cocktail dress is completely inconspicuous.

If she could just quit and go work for someone else she would, but that's not really how things go in her profession.

"Just the usual?" Emily asks.

"Actually, I'll have two," Paige says. "I'm expecting a friend. Well, a friend of a friend."

"I think I might know them," Emily replies. "Do they like to make a big entrance?"

"Yes," Paige agrees, "but otherwise they keep to themselves. They're a little shy."

Paige can see the look of alarm in Emily's eyes, but she needs to know the danger.

Emily sets about making the coffees. Once she is done, Paige hands over some change. Emily scans the coins and quickly spots the memory card.

"Thank you," she says. "That's perfect."

Paige waits at the counter, coffee in hand.

"Would you like a seat?" Emily asks.

"I'll wait here," Paige replies. "I need the exercise."

Emily slips the memory card into the front pocket of her apron, before she picks up the tray and begins cleaning up. That's the thing with undercover missions, you still have to do your job.

Paige discreetly looks in her second coffee cup. It's the entry pass. She puts it in her handbag.

Just then the door opens. They both tense for a moment, ready to engage the enemy, but the only person who comes through the door is an old man, hardly one of A's feared killers.

The new arrival looks Paige up and down.

"That's quite a dress for a little place like this," he observes.

"I've been out at a party," Paige explains.

He is old and slightly stooped, smartly dressed if somewhat out of style. He has a grey shirt, brown trousers, a brown tie, a brown cardigan, a tweed jacket and a flat cap. His face is wrinkled, and full of character, with thin grey whiskers. His eyes show an alertness, though, and one not dulled by the years.

"It must have been a pretty fancy party," the old man responds.

"I suppose so," Paige agrees.

"It wasn't that ball the DiLaurentis girl put on, was it?" he asks.

Paige hesitates for a moment. Can she say? It isn't a secret that she had attended, just the reason why.

"Yes, actually, it was," she confirms.

"That looked like a doozy," he says.

Emily returns to the counter.

"So, what would you like?" Emily asks her new customer, smiling politely.

"I hear that this place has the best freshly ground coffee in the neighborhood," he replies casually.

What? How could he…

He pulls the gun and starts firing at Emily before Paige can do anything, but fortunately Emily's instincts have kicked in, and she dives for cover. The old man is not an old man anymore. No longer stopped, he stands upright with the muscular silhouette of a trained assassin.

Emily throws her tray full of crockery at him. He brushes it off, but it is enough of a distraction for Paige to kick the gun out of his hand. As she does so, Emily vaults over the counter, hitting him square in the chest with both feet and sending him sprawling backwards.

Just then two more assailants burst through the door. They are also armed, but Emily and Paige are at close enough quarters to neutralize that threat.

They take on one each. Paige grabs her opponent's gun hand and pushes it away. He fires, but the bullets go harmlessly into the wall. Paige spins and elbows him in the face, then turns again and kicks his legs out from under him. The gun goes sliding along the floor. He picks himself up, but as he does Paige launches a series of kicks sending him crashing against the back wall, where he slumps down.

Paige looks over to Emily, who has also incapacitated her adversary. Emily gestures to the back stairs and they make a break for it.

"Em, he didn't just know where we were, he knew…" she begins.

"I heard," Emily says abruptly.

They hear more gunshots. More of A's minions are pouring in.

Once at the top of the stairs they wait until their foes are in sight below, then Paige picks up an armchair and hurls it down on them. Emily follows up with a trash can.

They both know what to do now. They head for the fire escape. The alley outside is clear, so they jump down.

Emily spots Toby's motorbike. Perfect. They jump on board, Emily riding, and are soon speeding away. There are more gunshots behind them, but they come nowhere near hitting them.

After a few minutes with no sign of a chase, they pull over.

"This will do," Paige announces, dismounting the bike.

"You can't go back, your cover's blown," Emily points out.

"If it ever really worked in the first place," Paige adds. "I know where they're holding Tippi though, and I know how to get in."

"OK," Emily concedes, though she is clearly unhappy.

"Protect that card," Paige insists. "It's got the plans for Fitz's lair. You've got to get it to HQ."

"Please stay safe," Emily pleads.

"We're in the wrong job for that," Paige points out.

"Then stay alive," Emily responds.

"That I _can_ do," Paige assures her.

Emily grabs Paige and kisses her, fiercely and desperately. They both know they have to go, though.

"I love you," Emily declares.

"I love you, too," Paige replies. "And I _will_ see you soon."

Emily nods, then roars off into the night.

Paige knows that promise is all they've got, but it will have to be enough. For now, the mission must come first.


	3. Chapter 3

**3. Stood Up**

As she sat by herself at the table in the Brew, one coffee in front of her, the other sitting forlornly on the table beside an empty seat, Paige decided that precognition was the most useless of all super powers.

Other students at school had much cooler powers. Jenna could read minds, as if she wasn't scary enough already, Mona had the power of invisibility, and Bridget could fly. It wasn't always safe for her to do so, but she could.

All Paige had was the ability to see into the future. Everyone thought that sounded great, and if she got one more person coming up and asking her the lottery numbers she was going to punch their lights out. The problem was, she couldn't choose what she wanted to see. She just got random flashes of the future, most of which told her nothing.

The most useful sight her power had ever given her was a traffic hold up from a fallen tree. Usually, though, it was the weather on Sunday when she was going out on Saturday, or the store being out of bread when she didn't need any anyway. Often Paige didn't even know what she was seeing, just random events in the lives of total strangers.

And now there was this. She had been stood up on a date. She, Paige McCullers, who could see the future, was sitting at the Brew, all alone, waiting for her date who was nowhere to be seen and who wasn't answering her phone or responding to texts. What use was precognition if she couldn't even avoid the public humiliation of being left waiting for someone who would never arrive?

Ironically she had planned ahead. She had ordered Shana's favorite coffee so it would be ready and waiting for her. Shana would arrive and they could make a joke about how Paige knew she was coming. Except she didn't.

Just to make matters worse, Paige knew the girl who was serving that day. It was Emily Fields from the swim team at school. Paige hadn't really had much to do with Emily. She was one of those girls who was pretty quiet, and generally kept to herself. Emily was nice enough, but she was friends with Alison DiLaurentis, who had the superpower of being completely and utterly awful. Why Emily was friends with her, Paige would never know.

So when Paige had arrived she had a chat with Emily as she ordered the coffee. Emily had complimented her on her dress, and they had had one of those conversations you have with someone you know, but not that well.

"How are you?"

"Good. Yourself?"

"Yeah, good."

"That's great."

That sort of thing.

Now, an hour later, Paige was sitting alone and Emily was looking over to her occasionally, giving her a sympathetic smile. She didn't need to be Jenna to know what was going on. Paige was just waiting for her to be distracted so she could sneak out and avoid a final embarrassment.

If only Paige could control her power, all of this could have been avoided. She would have known Shana would be a no show, and she could have stayed at home. Everything would have been OK.

For once Paige wanted a clear, useful vision from her powers. Just one.

Now Emily was walking over towards her. Paige had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Emily knew Paige had been stood up. Was she feeling pity? Would she tell Alison? How much more awkward could the situation get?

Emily stood beside the table, smiling as usual.

Then it happened. As Paige looked at that dazzling smile she had a vision.

_It was bright. A sunny afternoon. She was in a garden somewhere. Emily was there, standing next to Paige, wearing a white dress. _There were people, lots of them, looking at the two of them.__

_Emily was smiling at Paige, just like now, but more intensely, her face full of joy. _

_They reached out and held each others' hands as Paige looked into Emily's eyes._

Paige snapped back to reality.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Emily asked.

It took some time for Paige to compose herself after what she had just seen.

"Um, yes," Paige answered.

Now she understood.


End file.
